Titus: Empty Talkers

Welcome back to our study on Titus.  Glad you are continuing along.  How did you last study go?  Are you keeping in mind what a good leader is? There will be many contrasts this week so continue to hold what you learned last week in mind to better understand this section's content.

If you are just joining in, be sure to look back through older posts to start at the beginning of the Titus series to get an overview of the book and more details about the "how to" studty portions.  Like last week, our process will be largely the same, as we are taking in content from Titus and also learning a method on how to study that can be applied to any book of the Bible. 

This week the scholarship required was a little more challenging and I had a lot more questions.   This required the use of more resources to understand some of the verses.  But I persevered and you can to!  Whatever level you are at, you can grow from studying God's word.  Trust Him to teach you and highlight the things you yourself need to learn.  And even after we've studied, we still run into things that challenge us.  Peter himself (2 Peter 3:16) says that Paul's writings are hard, so you are in good company!  Remember what we acknowledged our first week-our goal is to engage our emotions through using our mind.  Now let's get into it! 

Titus 1:10-16 

Comprehension
-seek to understand exactly what the passage is saying without adding any interpretation to it

  • Define words you may have circled in the overview because you didn't know their meaning.  Look them up in a dictionary, then reread the verse.  After getting the context, write a definition in the margin or above the word you circled.
  • If there is a verse you don't understand, read it in another word-for-word translation (see first week for recommended versions).   Make notes on your passage of any new understandings you have.  
  • Write down question that emerge from reading.  You can write them on your annotated Titus scripture so it's easy to see them in the inference phrase of study.  
  • This passage contains a list about what kind of men the false teachers are.  Make a list of all you learn about them.  Include what they do and their characteristics.  

Interpretation
 -take what you just learned about what the section says and discover the nuance of what it means
  • Look up cross references for this section.  The passages in 1 Timothy are very helpful to add to your understanding of false teachers.  Remember in our overview, we learned that the letters Paul wrote to Timothy at this time are similar in content.  Add any notes that are helpful to interpreting this section.  
  • Paraphrase a confusing verse yourself to help you understand it.  Paraphrasing means reading the original version and putting it in your own words.  
  • Compare your version with The Message or New Living Translation, as they are also paraphrased versions of the Bible.   Note what you learned from this comparison.
  • If you still have questions, read commentaries or notes in your study bible.   You can also ask me a question in the comments and I'll try to answer as best I can.  
Application
-what do I do with what I'm learning

  • What does it mean to rebuke someone?  This letter from Paul to Titus shows the need for people of good character to not only teach God's word but be able to clearly counter those who oppose it. How does Paul teach this should be done and why?  Read these verses: 1 Corinthians 13:10, Proverbs 27:6, Psalm 141:5, Mathew 7:3, Galtians 6:1.  What is the difference between approaching a sister in faith about a personal choice they are making that grieves your heart verses those teaching false messeges in the church? 
  • Devotion is giving your time and resources to something.  In this passage the members of the Crete church were disrupted in their faith by Jewish myths and commands from those who turned away from the truth.  What in your life are you really devoted to?  Is there something that you are giving your devotion to that is influencing your faith that you need to walk away from? 
  • What are the dangers of empty talk? Read the following verses: Titus 3:9, 2 Timothy 2:23, 1 Timothy 1:3-7, 1 Timothy 6:20.  Is there anyone in your life you tend to have fruitless arguments with?  What is God saying to you about that? 
  • As I shared in the opening section of this post, bible study is important because it provides you with truth (2 Timothy 3:16, John 17:17).  The false teachers were described as men who were corrupted in mind (see 2 Timothy 3:8, 1 Timothy 6:5).  There verses remind us of how important it is to build up knowledge to protect our hearts in times of trial.  In those moments,  we may be tempted to trust our feelings to act rashly instead of remembering who God is and what we have trusted before fear comes knocking at the door.  What reasons does this give you personally to persevere in study? What habits can you change to create more opportunities to build up your intake of truth and remember things you have learned through study?  
  • Pure here means unmixed.  The essence of something that only contains one substance.  It is the action of restoring something back to it's original and genuine state.  This is contrasted with the defiled, which is something sacred that has been profaned, marred or mixed in.  In thinking about your own heart, is there something that is mixing in with you that you need to ask God to restore and "purify?"

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